DIY Graphic Nailhead Ceiling

Hey friends, hope you spent some time over the weekend soaking up summer, as it is
 flying by! We only have three more weeks before school starts. : (
I'm on a roll, finally sharing tutorials from Another Craigslist Bedroom Makeover Reveal,
  from the One Room Challenge a couple months ago. Last week I shared the 

Anthropologie Knock Off - DIY Weathered Gray Dresser
 and today the Graphic Nailhead Ceiling. My clients' tray ceiling was the perfect backdrop
 for a statement and, of course, one of my favorite ideas was a
  Nailhead Ceiling similar to my dining room that I DIYed a few years ago,
 and they were game.  

(Btw, I love how the ceiling pattern plays off the bases of the benches.)

Since we were working with a large space with awkward angles and a ceiling fan
off center I knew a repeating pattern may end up looking off balance, and being a
 nightmare. I had hoped to come up with something random that wouldn't draw attention to
 the angles. This graphic wallpaper was the ticket!! Our goal was to create a more open

 and less busy pattern.  

Designer Benjamin Vandiver - Nathan Followill Home

PRODUCT

 French Natural Nail Head Trim - 36 yd rolls @ $33 ea. x 2.5 rolls  = $82.00

1 Box of Nails @ $20 

TOTAL $102.00

 Here is an online source, DIY Upholstery Supply, 

we purchased ours locally at Western Upholstery Supply in Denver. 

For reference our room is 21.5' x 16'

PROCEDURE

The nailheads come in a roll, every fifth nailhead is open to secure the strip with a 

nail. We found they easily pressed into the drywall ceiling in most places. They also

 easily cut apart when you reach a stopping point.  

We started by outlining the perimeter of the ceiling and then creating our random pattern

 inside the border .  

To create the pattern we began with a couple longer perpendicular strips and

intersected smaller strips from those lines.  

And just kept going.

We worked in large sections and would get down from our ladders to look at the pattern

 from different spots in the room (as you get a different perspective) to determine the 

direction of the next few strips. It was truly random, but looked best when we varied the size

 of the spaces, for example if we created a large triangle we would aim for a smaller one or 

different shape next to it, or if we ended up with a wide space, we'd try for something

 narrower next to it. 

At first we simply held the strip up to the ceiling and when we had it situated in a direction

we liked we began nailing, but some of our lines were ending up not quite as straight as 

we liked. We found by using a yardstick and lightly drawing a pencil line to use as a guide

to align the strips it solved the problem.  

It took my client and I about 7 hours and then she and her husband finished up

that evening in another couple hours. And NO, our necks didn't hurt, neither of us

were even sore the next day, except my thumb was numb for a couple days after from

pushing the nailheads into the drywall. It isn't hard, but a LOT of climbing up and 

down ladders. We also stood on a long dresser and moved it around the room as we

 progressed. I highly recommend doing it with someone fun, the time passes quickly

 and you'll get in lots of girl talk!        

If you'd like to check out a similar look and tutorial for creating a pattern my

 dining room ceiling here and here was a fun project that I did when I first started

 blogging, so please excuse the bad photos and styling...cringe! :)